Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) both attended the Iowa-Iowa State football on Saturday, spending time at tailgates, frat houses, and in the stands with supporters.
It wasn’t all fans though. Both of the candidates also appeared to be flipped off by some members in the crowds.
Trump appeared to be hit by a two-handed middle finger salute by a guy in a red shirt with beefy arms and a black baseball cap while the former president waved out of a window at supporters while watching the game from a private box.
However, others are claiming the image has been distorted.
At least two other people in the crowd are seen raising middle fingers toward Trump in another angle posted on X, by John Hasson, a reporter for the conservative media outlet Townhall.
Matt Wolking, a political operative for the DeSantis supporting SuperPAC Never Back Down posted a picture of the greeting Trump received on X.
“What a contrast,” Wolking wrote, juxtaposing the image with one of DeSantis sitting in the stands shaking hands and smiling with a fan.
But Trump supporters quickly pointed out that Trump wasn’t the only one who got the bird flipped off at him.
A post by @TheMagaHulk shows an image of DeSantis smiling with one supporter, while behind him a guy in a red football jersey flips off DeSantis from behind.
“What a contrast,” @TheMagaHulk echoed mockingly.
Trump drew bigger crowds than DeSantis at the game, an AP report noted, leading to the social media back and forth between the two camps.
Other Trump fans responded to Wolking’s post by posting pictures of Trump receiving adulation and cheers at the game.
“Liberal tactics won’t work, Ron should’ve waited for 2028,” posted @VladCraita. “He tried to pull a political Brutus on Trump, playing along with the democrats, a traitorous move. Sad, his best years are behind him now[.]”
Other Trump supporters questioned the angles of the photo of the person flipping the double bird to Trump.
“Nobody was flipping him off,” claimed @UnpopOp77. “It’s at the ppl on the roof.- Double-bird guy is not in front of him like in the fake pic above.”
“What a staged set up,” posted @RifleCreekThorn.
“DeSantis team photoshopped and edited a lot of material yesterday,” claimed @GraceSm16250397. “After Ron spent weeks in Iowa, his poll numbers dropped and Ron’s now in 4th.”
